Okara win Seniors Cup Northern Region final

KARACHI: Okara were crowned as the Northern Region champions of the 19th National Seniors Cup Cricket Tournament 2017-18 when they overpowered Wah Power by five wickets in the final at the Shah Faisal Ground in Lahore.

According to details shared by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), Okara and Wah Power had reached the final for the first time.

Okara will be taking on Rashid Latif Cricket Academy (RLCA), the Southern Region champions, in the national final at the Lawai Naya Nazimabad Stadium on Sunday (tomorrow). The tournament is being sponsored by Omar Associates with Naya Nazimabad and State Life Insurance Company of Pakistan being the co-sponsors.

Muhammad Hafeez’s terrific all-round performance played the decisive role in guiding Okara to their maiden triumph. He was adjudged Man of the Match.Batting first after skipper Muhammad Mujtaba had called correctly, Wah Power reached a respectable total of 238 for eight in the allotted 30 overs.

Substantial contributions from Asif Naeem (36 off 30 balls), Muhammad Pervez (35 off 21 balls), Khurram Shahzad (28 off 20 balls) and Rashid Latif (25 off 23 balls) kept Wah Power’s score moving but it was unbeaten Yousuf Khan’s 66 off 47 balls which lifted Wah Power to 238. He hit three sixes and as many fours. Spinners Muhammad Anis and Muhammad Hafeez took three for 58 and two for 34, respectively.

Okara reached the target in 28.1 overs with five wickets in hand.They got off to a blazing start through opener Kashif Bajwa who cracked two sixes and nine fours in his 59 off 39 balls. Hafeez and Irshad Ahmed added 103 for the third wicket.

Irshad perished after scoring 39 off 35 balls, but Hafeez finished the job with an unconquered 76 off 52 balls, hitting two sixes and 11 fours. Yousuf picked up a couple of wickets with his off-spin.